1. Entering the Khalsa North America

2. Hi! My name is Sapreet. My parents were born in the Punjab region, located north of India, but today my family lives in the United States.

3. The religion that we follow is called Sikhism. Sikhs follow the teachings of Gurus. A guru is someone that can take you from darkness to light and guides you on the right path. Guru Nanak was the first Sikh guru. This is called a khanda. It is one of the symbols that represents the Sikh religion. When a person is old enough to understand the teachings of the Gurus, she or he may choose to follow these teachings and become a Sikh -- someone who follows the religion of Sikhism.

4. There is a special ceremony when a person decides to accept the teachings. It is called Entering the Khalsa. The Khalsa is the initiated community of people who follow the Sikh religion and the teachings of the Gurus. The ceremony is called Amrit, which in English means baptism or initiation. I will take Amrit because I think I am ready to commit myself to Sikhism. This is the picture of the bowl used during Amrit. It is made out of steel.

5. Today, I woke up early in the morning, got ready and remembered God. A Khalsa wakes up early everyday and prays. Remembering God is a very important part of a Sikh’s life. A Khalsa always does good deeds and helps everyone. As a Khalsa, I will work hard and share what I have with others. My family and all of our friends are going to the gurdwara -- like a church or temple for Sikhs -- where I will enter into the Khalsa.

6. We all recite the Mul Mantra and other prayers out loud. The Mul Mantra describes God’s qualities. As Sikhs we believe in one God that loves everyone and try to take on God’s traits through love and devotion. Five Sikhs, men or women, lead the ceremony. One of them will sprinkle some water mixed with special sweets using a double edged sword on my eyes and hair. The prayers help us remember God and the sword reminds us that we should always fight for justice. This is one of the men. He is reciting prayers. Sikh men wear turbans on their heads in order to cover their hair.

7. During the ceremony, everyone has on the five things that a Sikh must wear all the time and I commit to wearing these things. They are gifts of Guru Gobind Singh, the tenth Sikh Guru. The first thing is is my uncut hair -- Sikhs are not supposed to cut their hair, ever. The second thing a small comb. The third is a small sword called a kirpan. The fourth is a round, steel bracelet called a kara. And the last are short breeches or shorts.

8. Today, I am very proud to be part of this ceremony. I am committing myself to Sikhism. I am so excited! All my friends and I are very happy. It would be wonderful if you could join us at the gurdwara someday. We will be sharing lots of great tasting food and everyone is always welcome. Guru Gobind Singh, the tenth Sikh Guru, asked his disciples to give him Amrit so that he would also be part of the Khalsa. This represented that each person, even the Guru, was an equal to everyone else! The Sikh Gurus aimed at creating an egalitarian society where everyone would work together for the betterment of Humanity.